Electric time switch



Nov. 17, 1936. R. L. LOUDEN ET AL 2,061,312

ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH Filed Oct. 28, 1935 QM ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 17, 1936 ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH Russell L. Louden and Harold H. Geycr, Springfield, Ohio Application October 28, 1935, Serial No. 47,028

2 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in electric time switches, and has particular reference to .a rotary clock-controlled switch for automatically closing an electric circuit including a light, radio, motor or any other electrically-operated medium.

It is extremely desirable, where electric devices such as neon signs are used, to automatically turn them on and off at certain times during the day and night. For example, it may be advantageous to operate such a sign during the early evening hours only, or to turn a radio on for the rendition of desired programs. To achieve these and like results is the object of our invention which comprises a compact, efficient and easily adjusted clock-controlled switch for automatically closing a light or other circuit for predetermined periods during the day and night.

Other important and incidental objects will be brought out in the following specification, and particularly set forth in the subjoined claims.

In the .accompanying drawing illustrating one form of embodiment of our invention, Figure 1 is a plan view of a segmental dial over which the contacting hand passes once every twenty-four hours. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken through this dial and contacting-hand associated mechanism on the line 2-2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a sectional View taken through the contasting end of the rotating hand or arm on the line 3-3 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a wiring diagram of our invention. And Figure 5 is a crosssectional View taken through one part of the dial, showing an alternate means for including the contacting hand in the electric device circuit.

Referring to the accompanying drawing for a detailed description of the form of embodiment of our invention illustrated therein, the numeral I designates a fixed non-conducting disc that is preferably made of a phenolic condensation product. face of this disc by attaching elements such as screws 2 is a smaller dielectric disc 3 to which there is attached, by the same screws, the middle part of a dial 4 which is preferably made of a springy conducting material such as phosphor bronze.

That portion of the dial 4 which lies without a circular line 5, located a short distance beyond its center, is cut to provide in this instance twenty-four radial segments 6. While these segments correspond to the twenty-four hours of the day, the dial may be formed to provide segments of greater or less width to designate, for example, half or two hour periods of that day.

Secured to the central portion of the Mounted upon the dial 4 in a position to cover the inner portions of the segments 6, is a disc I of suitable insulating material.

Near the outer edge portion of this disc, opposite each edge of a respective segment, a time designation such as 1 P. M. is placed to indicate that when a rotating hand or arm 8 makes contact with that segment, .an electric circuit to be hereinafter described will be closed at that time to illuminate an electric sign or actuate some other electric device.

The contacting hand or arm 8 is fixedly secured at its inner end to .a shaft 9 that projects.

through axial holes in the assembled insulating discs I, 3, and 1.

This shaft, which is stepped by brackets l5.

From a source of electric current, not shown, electric current is carried to a conventional stator winding l6 for the motor, by

wires I! .and I8.

The electric motor l3 rotates a conventional clock shaft l9 carrying a gear 20.

This gear meshes with a large intermediate gear 2| preferably constructed of suitable non-conducting material and attached to a shaft 22 journaled in a bearing 23 secured to the frame member [0. The gear 2| is in mesh with a gear 24 of the same diameter, and constructed of similar material fixedly secured to the shaft 9.

It is thus seen that the hand 8, which is carried by the shaft 9, will be rotated by the conventional hour hand clock shaft l9 at a rate that will cause that hand twenty-four hours.

to pass over all of the segments 6 once every For the purpose of closing an electric circuit including the hand 8 and a selected one or number of the segments 6, I have provided the following electric means.

In continuous engagement with the inner reduced end of the shaft 9 is a spring contact piece 25 that is attached at its inner end to a terminal 26 carried by the frame member Ill.

From this terminal a conducting wire 21 runs to a source of current not shown. (See Figure 4.)

Attached to one of the screws 2 connected to the segmental dial 4, is a conducting link 28 that is secured to a terminal 29.

From the latter a wire 30 runs to an electrically-operated device such as an illuminated sign not shown. From this device a wire 3| runs direct to the source of current.

For the purpose of periodically closing the circuit just described through the electrically-operated device, each one of the spring segments 6 which is held against the disc I by a screw 32, will spring out into the path of rotation of the hand 8 when that screw is loosened. Normally, the hand 8 rotates with its outer end a slight distance above the segments when they are held down against the disc I by non-conducting washers 32 carried by the screws 32. If it is desired to close the circuit through the electric device for the period between two and three o'clock in the afternoon, for. example, the screw holding down the segment 6 corresponding to that period will be loosened to permit that segment to spring into the path of rotary movement of the hand 8.

Accordingly, when the outer end 33 of that hand travels over that segment, it will close the electric circuit before described, through the electric sign or other device during the period of one hour between two and three oclock. If a longer period of operation of that device is desired, two or more of the segments defining that period may be sprung into the path of the rotating hand 8 by loosening their respective screws.

In order that the hand 8 may engage a segment at the start of the period, and not before, we have constructed its outer end 33 in the manner shown in Figure 3. The non-engaging side of the hand end is bent over to clutch a small strip of non-conducting material 34 such as mica. The non-conducting mica strip will therefore be the first to engage the raised segment, after which the downwardly curved conducting end 33 of the hand will engage that segment at just the right time to close the circuit through the sign or other device. to be operated by the electric current.

In Figure 5 we have shown another method of including the contacting hand 8 in the electric circuit. In this instance the hand carries a spring contact member 35 whose free end 36 projects over the shaft 9. In continuous engagement with the free end 36 of the member 35 is the free end of a fixed radial contact arm 31 under which the hand 8 passes in its rotating movement over the dial. The arm 37 is secured at its fixed end to a terminal 38 carried by a nonconducting element 39 securely attached to the disc I for projection beyond its outer edge.

Instead of including the shaft 9 in the electric device circuit as illustrated in Figures 2 and 4, that circuit may be completed through the hand 8, contact members 35 and 31, and the terminal 38 by connecting the wire 21 to that terminal instead of to the terminal 26.

We do not wish to be limited to the details of construction and arrangement herein shown and described, and any changes or modifications may be made therein within the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. In a clockcontrolled electric circuit making and breaking mechanism, a fixed dial, a radial hand rotatable around said dial, a clock motor for rotating said hand, flat contact segments carried by said dial, said segments normally lying below the plane in which said hand rotates, the width of each segment below the path of rotation of the radial hand, corresponding to a particular time period of the day, and means for raising one or more segments axially into the path of rotation of said hand for engagement by it.

2. In a clock-controlled electric circuit making and breaking mechanism, a fixed disc of nonconducting material, a dial of spring metal secured at its central portion to said disc, a radial hand rotatable over said dial, a clock motor for rotating said hand, radial segments cut in said dial below said hand, each segment corresponding to a particulartime period of the day, and screws passing through the outer ends of the segments and the disc to normally hold them below the plane of rotation of said hand, one. or more of said segments corresponding to a selected period of the day, springing into the path of rotation of said hand for engagement by it when their respective screws are loosened.

RUSSELL L. LOUDEN. HAROLD H. GEYER. 

